Arm chair table



Oct. 18, 1955 G. v. HOPPERT ARM CHAIR TABLE Filed Sept. 25, 1953 INVENTOR. GRACE V. HOPPERT. BYMJfW ifl ATTORNEY United States Patent ARM CHAIR TABLE Grace V. Hoppert, Baltimore, Md. Application September 25, 1953, Serial No. 382,425

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-127) This invention relates to furniture and more particularly to a device placeable on the arms of an arm-chair for the purpose of providing a convenient table, table tray or board on which the user of the chair may rest books, papers and other conveniences to augment his comfort. This arrangement is especially desirable for use in viewing television, as the observer can sit comfortably in the chair and when interested make notes on paper in front of him on this shelf. In other instances he can consume food or drink, using the table to hold these items.

Devices of this nature have been designed and manufactured and while suitable are usually limited to structures that are only adaptable for particularly sized chairs. They are also apt to slip off the arms of the chairs and spill the contents placed thereon on the lap of the sitter, much to his discomfort. In this invention, the table is adjustable on one, or both sides, to suit various sizes of arm chairs, and this adjustment is possible quickly and conveniently. In addition a set of wedges are included that project through the table to limit its lateral movement and prevent it sliding off the chair arms it rests on.

The invention has among its objects the provision of a new and improved arm-chair table that will avoid one or more of the disadvantages and limitations of the prior art.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved arm-chair table that will be capable of adjustment to suit the width of separation of the arms of different types of chairs.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new an improved arm-chair table that will include features of stability, lightness, and no moving parts outside of those required for its adjustability.

Other objects will become apparent as the invention is more fully outlined.

For a better understanding of the invention and the objects thereof reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 indicates an arm-chair table set on the arms of the chair and embodying this invention;

Figure 2 is a view in perspective of the table indicated in Figire 1, with one of its wedges in lifted or raised position, and another in down or locked position;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the table in open adjustment;

Figure 4 is a detail in perspective of the wedge used in this embodiment, and

Figure 5 is a sectional detail on line 55 of Figure 3.

The same reference numerals are used to designate the same parts throughout the drawings.

In Figure l of the drawings a conventional type of arm chair is shown with its arms 11 positioned above the seat 12 to allow a tray or table 13 to rest on and still leave adequate room below for the lap of the user. The table is prevented from moving laterally by the wedges 14 projecting down through the hand holes 15.

2,720,913 Patented Oct. 18, 1955 Referring to Figure 3, the shelf 13 includes the main board 16, the front of which is arcuately formed in its central portion 17 to allow for the natural contour. At one side of the board 16 is an adjustable extension side piece 18 having an enlarged tongue member 29 projected from it into a dove-tailed groove 28 in the board. The tongue member 29 is about three-quarters the width of the piece 18 and less in thickness. The thickness of the side piece 18 and the depth of the groove 28 are designed to provide ample strength to the parts involved. The hand holes 15 are positioned close to the outer edges of the board and side piece and are made with their upper rims 26 bevelled inwardly. The wedges 14 fit the holes accurately when down and extend below the underside 22 of the shelf parts. The upper portions 27 are bevelled to conform with rims 26. They are hinged at 21 to one side, in the walls of the hand holes 15 to enable them to be swung up out of the way and flush with the board. They are swung up when the hand holes are employed to raise the table, and allowed to fall down into the holes when the latter is placed on the arms of the chair. This makes a very neat arrangernent for the purposes intended for the wedges and hand holes. To provide additional security when the extension side piece 18 and board 16 are closed flush against each other, dowel elements 23 are located in extension side 18 and engage with holes in the board 16 and align therewith. Small projections 30 located on underside of tongue member 29 enable it to fit snugly in the groove 28.

The board 16 is provided with circular recesses 24 for drinking glasses, bottles of ink, pins, and other small articles usable by the sitter. Likewise a surface groove 25 is provided in the top -of the board for pencils and the like. All edges and corners are rounded off to eliminate all sharp edges and make the shelf comfortable and safe to use. The use of one side extension piece is sufficient for the spread between the arms of chairs commonly available. In other instances, where more adjustability is desirable, the use of a board with dual side extension pieces would be preferable. This would require minor modification of the structure and is intended to be included herein. It is immaterial whether the wedges engage on the inner or outer side of the chair arms when projecting downwardly through the shelf when positioned on a chair.

While but one general form of the invention is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, it is not desired to limit this application for patent to this particular form as it is appreciated that other forms of construction could be made that would use the same principles and come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed 1. An armchair table comprising two fiat and relatively slidable portions adapted to rest crosswise on the arms of the armchair, both portions, when in juxtaposition, having an unbroken and uniform peripheral contour, one of said portions having an inner groove therein and the other of said portions having a tongue of smaller transverse dimensions than said last named portion and fitting in said groove, said tongue having outward protrusions extending for its length along its upper surface to insure a snug fit of the tongue in the groove, each of said portions having hand holes at their outer ends whereby the portions may be slid towards or away from each other when placing the table across the arms of the armchair, there being a shoulder in the second mentioned portion transversely outward of the tongue, dowels carried by said shoulder,

said dowels being received in cooperating openings provided in the adjacent face of the first portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 113,023 Tabb Jan. 24, 1939 10 4 Ireland et a1. Apr. 30, 1872 Andersen June 28, 1910 Titley Apr. 11, 1950 Bodenhofi June 2, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Oct. 31, 1929 

